License Plate

Most people familiar with Mexico probably know that it is unlawful to drive in Mexico City and area with license plates that end in certain numbers on certain days. Does anyone know if this applies to only Mexican plated cars or to ALL cars. My friend was recently stopped and had to pay about $600 Canadian for having a plate ending with a '1'. (Alberta Plates ).

Re: [moondog1940] License Plate

I only know that there is a rule and I do not know who it applies to that one can only drive in Mexico City one day if the last number is even and the next if it is odd. I would not have thought that this would apply to NOB license plates, But apparently I might be wrong.

Re: [playaboy] License Plate

I think you are correct and he needed to go online to get the tourist pass to be legal. For vehicles more than a few years old with plates out of the Estado de Mexico, CDMX and Puebla zone you now need a Federal smog certificate which only Querétaro close by has. San Luis Potosi closed all their state smog stations and all their federal smog stations. We got a tourist pass when going to CDMX when taking our car years ago. Lately we take a bus, 50% discount for INAPAM card, and use taxis or the metro, or metro busses. Much easier.The law definately does not only apply to CDMC, Estado de Mexico or Puebla plates, they can´t get tourist passes to drive on days not allowed, I think.

Re: [esperanza] License Plate

Rick, Hoy No Circula applies to ALL VEHICLES without 0 or 00 smog stickers.

I thought I made it clear to get a tourist pass you also need to have a smog certificate and only some state´s smog certificates are accepted . eg. Querétaro - and other states you need to get a federal smog certificate which there are federal smog stations in their capital cities if your vehicle is over a few years old.

Re: [AlanMexicali] License Plate

I thought I made it clear to get a tourist pass you also need to have a smog certificate and only some state´s smog certificates are accepted.

Knowing full well that trying to understand Mexican legalities can be a fool's errand, I'm struggling to reconcile the quote above with the language on the http://www.hoy-no-circula.com.mx/ page. Specifically, the "Qué es el Pase Turístico para Foráneos" section:

Normally, a smog test plus license plate digit gets you a particular color hologram, and the hologram determines when you can drive under the Hoy No Circular program. Got that. But a tourist pass exempts "vehículos foréneos" from the Hoy No Circula program.

Earlier on the first page it says foreign vehicles are those registered outside of the country or in Mexican states outside the Hoy No Circula region, and which "No porten ningún holograma de verificación" (don't carry a hologram). So you get a tourist pass for your foreign vehicle that doesn't have a hologram. Where does it say that you must have a smog inspection? I don't see a smog inspection as a stand-alone requirement, only as part of getting a hologram (which you don't need if driving on one of these tourist passes). I live in Michoacán. I want to visit some tourist sites in Estado de México. I can pay $$ for a smog inspection in Morelia that's good for six months. Or it seems I can skip the inspection and just get a free tourist pass for a trip of a week or two. Can someone point out the flaw in my reasoning that a smog inspection isn't necessary (before a transito does)? Thanks, Mark